Our Son
by mcgirl
Summary: Abbey and Jed had a son before they are married and now discover who it is, a senior staff member. Somewhat rewritten
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Characters from West Wing, NBC and other people on them, but not me.

Summary: The Bartlet's had a child a long time ago that no one knows about, not even their daughters or Leo and now they find out who their child is. The thing is though that they know this person and it will change the Bartlet's and the senior staff's lives forever.

Info: Abbey and Jed are older in this story to fit with the timeline in this story. This follows maybe some of the first two seasons.

Jed looked out of the window in the residence and said "we don't have to do this if we don't want to."

"Jed I have to know who my son is, who our son is. This is our son we are talking about. Are you worried about your political career is that it, are you worried about not getting reelected Jed" Abbey yelled.

"No, you and our children are the most important people to me. All I am saying is what if he is not looking for us, what if he does not want to know about us, could you stand that" Jed said.

"It is just a consequence that we will have to face when we come across it," Abbey said.

Abbey's hands were trembling when she opened the envelope. She took the piece of paper out and the first thing that came out of her mouth was "oh God," she said crying.

Jed picked up the dropped document and saw the name and his face paled.

"He's our son, I can't believe it that we know our son. What are we going to do about this Abbey? I am not sure if he would be able to handle something like this he has already been through so much in the last few months with his only living relative dieing," Jed said.

"We can't tell him Jed, this would ruin him both politically and emotionally and you are right I am not sure either if he would be able to handle it," she said.

"I know" he said sadly, "I know."

"What would have happened if we knew before Rosslyn, we could of protected him, what if we kept him" Abbey said yelling.

"We can't wonder the what ifs Abbey, you told me that a long time ago," Jed said.

"I just want to protect him. I have since the day he was born and I held him in my arms," Abbey said.

Jed put his arms around Abbey and they both cried.

Concluding Info: You will find out who their son is in the next chapter. It is someone on the senior staff though.


	2. Thoughts

Next Day

Josh sat in his office staring at his computer. His mother died a few months ago and now he had no family. Sure he could look for his biological family but they would never be his "real" family.

"Josh" Donna said knocking on his door.

"Yea" he said staring at her.

"You have staff in a few minutes. You look bad, maybe you should look for your biological family, then you would have another family," Donna said.

"I do not think so Donna, as far as I know they could be drug addicts, criminals or dead and that would only lead to disappoint. Besides I have a great girlfriend who for some reason loves me and I love her" he said as he walked out of his office.

"Rachel is good for you" Donna said

"Who is a drug addict Josh, is there something that I should know about" CJ said worried.

"No, Donna said that I should find my biological family but as far as I know they could be drug addicts or criminals," Josh said.

"If you do go looking for them, please tell me beforehand so when someone from the press asks me a question I want be surprised," CJ said.

"No problem" Josh said and then they all entered and said "good morning Mr. President.

"Good morning everyone" the President said, looking particularly worn out.

"What do we have today" he said.

"There is an adoption law on the table sir" Leo said.

"What type of law is it," President Bartlet said.

"It basically states that a parent cannot look up their children who they gave up for adoption if the child does not want their biological family to find them" Toby said.

"You have been quiet Josh what do you think about this," the president said.

"I know that since I am adopted I might be a little bias, but I do not want my biological parents looking for me and finding out who I am without my permission. That is invading my privacy but it could also damage me personally, politically or to this administration. As far as I am concerned my family is dead, even if my biological family is very much alive, that is my belief about this law" Josh said.

President Bartlet bit his tongue. He wanted to say something but knew that he could not say anything.

CJ saw the president's eyes and knew something was wrong but she could not tell what it was. She was not sure if she wanted to know what was wrong especially if it was something bad that the press would love to find out.

"Why do you say that Josh because I need to see both sides."

"With all due respect sir my biological parents gave me up and they probably would not give a damn about me if I showed up on their doorstep one day, plus my biological family lost that right to be my family when they gave me up. I am sorry if you did not want to hear that answer but it is the truth" Josh said.

"Is that all or is there anything else" the President said.

"No" Leo said

After Josh walked out President Bartlet whispered "we do love you Josh and we actually give a damn about you, "then went back to work.

"Hey Josh I need someone else's opinion on something" CJ said as she closed the door of his office.

"Has the President been acting strange to you lately? It looked like this bill bothered him, but it is not like he had given up a child for adoption" she said.

"Let's hope not because this could be worse than ms if he did and it would be worse for their kid as well. Could you imagine what that person would have to go through? I know that I would not want that to happen to me." Josh said

He saw the president looking strangely at him then heard him whisper something that he could not hear.

"You know Josh, most likely this bill will pass and you won't have to worry about your parents finding out who you are," CJ said.

"It is just frustrating CJ sometimes I want to find out who my parents are and other days I don't."

"You know we will always be there for you, even President Bartlet. You know he loves you like you are his own son," CJ said.

"Yea, but the thing is he is not my father. I have no one left CJ, I mean I have my friends and Rachel but it is just not the same. I still can hear mom yelling at me telling me that I need to see her more," Josh said almost smiling.

He had not given the famous Josh Lyman smile since his mother died a few months ago and she as well as everyone else missed that smile.

Rachel had called them many times in the past few months as well as them her to see how he was doing in and outside of work.

Some people thought that if he found his real parents then that might heal some old wounds but could also lead to disappointment and rejection. She also had noticed that he almost looked as bad as he did the Christmas after Rosslyn. She did not want to lose him, because if they did lose him, he may never come back.

8:00 p.m. Josh Lyman's apartment

Josh sat on his coach and poured himself an alcoholic drink. His family was dead, everyone who had ever loved him was dead except Rachel and she would soon die because he knew her. He loved her but was scared she would die. He did not know if he could take that because he planned to marry her but she had to say yes first.

He felt so angry and he put his glass harder down then he meant to and the glass broke in his hand. He remembered something like this had happened after Rosslyn, except last time he put his hand through the window.

He heard a knock on his door and hoped that they would just go away. He did not want his friends to see him like this especially Rachel and Donna. He knew the two of them had been talking.

"I know you are in there Joshua, so open the door" Donna said.

Josh finally got up from the couch and opened the door and let her in.

One of the first things that she saw was his hand and became immediately concerned.

"What happened to your hand Josh," she said.

"I put a glass down to hard and it broke."

She looked at him skeptically because she remembered last time he had also said it was a glass.

He knew what she was thinking, she was thinking about that Christmas. "I'll show you Donna," he said pointing to the broken glass on the floor that clearly came from a drinking glass.

"You can even check the windows out if you want to," Josh said.

She wanted to believe him, but he had lied to her before to all of them. She checked the windows and saw that no windows were broken.

Donna went to the couch where Josh was cleaning up, but his right hand hurt because of the glass in it.

"We're going to the hospital Joshua right now," she said.

"I don't need to go to a hospital Donna, I'm fine," he said.

"You are not fine Josh, you just broke a glass plus you could get a thing."

"What type of thing" Josh said.

"I don't know, but you are going to the hospital, come on," Donna said.

Josh finally relented letting Donna drive him to the hospital.

Car

"Maybe you should call Stanley or talk to another psychiatrist" Donna said.

She was determined to not let there be a repeat of that Christmas. She did not even want to think about it.

"I'm fine Dona I really am. I haven't heard any sirens or gunshots in my head when I listen to music or anything else, look we're here," he said trying to change the subject. They got out and went to the Emergency part of the hospital.

Hospital

They sat in the waiting room waiting to be called by a doctor. He did not want to be in the hospital, but he did not want Donna or Rachel to worry about him. He knew she would probably call Rachel after this.

The last time he had been in the hospital was when his mother died.

Hospitals had always carried bad memories for him and if he could help it he tried to avoid this place at all costs. He just wanted to go home and go to bed. His back and right leg hurt like hell for a few days now as well but that was another thing that he was not going to tell Donna or anyone else for that matter.

9:15

The nurse called his name and he followed the nurse into the room.

Donna asked if she could come and she followed him into the room. They sat there for a few minutes and finally the doctor came in.

"It says here you broke a glass and in the process was cut by the glass. It does not look like you need stitches but I need to make sure all the glass is out of your hand so it want get infected. How bad does it hurt," the doctor said.

"My back, no my hand hurts like hell," Josh said as the doctor was making sure all the glass was out. Donna immediately looked at Josh and he realized his mistake.

"Your back hurts Mr. Lyman, how long has it hurt" the doctor said.

"My mistake it is just my hand, not my back," Josh said.

"I would advise you to see your doctor about your back," he said.

"Which one" Josh said sarcastically.

He was not happy, he should have never let Donna bring him to the hospital and no one would of found out.

He knew Rachel was beginning to suspect something but he had only seen her once in the past week. He wondered why he had to fall in love with a doctor.

The doctor slightly touched Josh's back ad he winced in pain.

"I want you to stay at home for the next couple days and see your main doctor as soon as possible, someone will have to drive you to the doctor's office and I am going to prescribe you with some pain medication."

"You know I have an important job advising the president and cannot stay home like other people can" Josh said.

"Well I'm sure you can get a few days off Mr. Lyman," he said sternly. The doctor handed Josh the prescription and Donna and Josh left the hospital

Car

"Why did you not tell me that your back hurts Josh. Does Rachel know" Donna said.

"No and it is no one's business but my own. Besides I have dealt with it for the last month taking Advil or Aspirin."

"Well you are not going to work tomorrow," Donna said.

"You know I am your boss Donna," he said.

"Do you want me to reinstate the rules again because I will if I have to and I will call Rachel when we get back home" she said.

"No," he said just wanting to go to sleep.

The Next Day

Donna had taken his car from him so that he could not drive to work. He was still mad but it was nice not waking up at 5:30.

He was still going to work though, just not from the office. He still had his phone and computer so he could communicate with the outside world. The only problem was if he could actually reach the phone or the computer.

Whitehouse

Donna knocked on CJ's door and CJ said "come in."

"Hey CJ, how are you," Donna said. "I'm good," CJ said.

"Is something wrong, did Josh or you do something stupid," CJ said alarmed.

"Yes Josh did something, but not what you would expect. He broke a glass last night; luckily I was there a few minutes later. Don't worry I checked all of the windows and none of them are broken but his back has been hurting him and Josh decided not to tell anyone this until it slipped out last night. The doctor has ordered him to stay home and then sometime I will take him to the doctor the next few days."

"Thanks Donna, if you talk to Josh before I do tell him I hope that he feels better, but right now I have to go to a meeting with the president" CJ said.

Oval Office

Everyone was in the oval office when CJ arrived.

"Sorry I was late but I was talking to Donna about Josh."

"Where is Josh, last time I checked he was suppose to be here" Leo said.

"Actually his back has been hurting but he has not bothered to tell anyone until it slipped at the emergency room."

"What happened, is he alright" the president said.

"He's fine, apparently he put a glass down to hard. Donna arrived a few minutes later and this time it was" she said breaking off because she did not know how many people knew about the window and was not going to tell if they did not know.

"If you want to find out more you probably should talk to Josh, Rachel, or Donna," she said.

After that they finally talked about their agenda. All through the meeting though the only thing Jed Bartlet could think of was Josh and if he was really alright.


	3. Dinner with Leo

The Day was finally over and no national or international disaster had happened. The only disaster that happened was Josh being hurt.

He saw Abbey in the residence drinking a glass of wine.

Things had been a little strained since they found out that Josh was their son.

They just were not sure what to do about this, they loved Josh but both were scared that they would lose Josh forever and might never see him again.

"Jed, what's wrong" Abbey said concerned.

He said one word "Josh."

"Is something wrong with him," Abbey said.

She had loved Josh like a son before and always had this maternal instinct to protect him, but nobody knew that not even Jed.

"He didn't come to work today because his back has been hurting him for awhile but he had not bothered to tell anyone," Jed said.

"Maybe we could put secret service on him to make sure he is alright, he needs the secret service in case anything happens to him then they can protect him" Abbey said.

"How are we going to do that Abbey, enlighten me please" Jed snapped.

"I do not know, maybe we should talk to Leo. He has known Josh for the majority of his life. We can ask him how he thinks Josh would react to something like this" she said.

"You are probably right; I'll talk to him and see if he wants to come eat dinner with us. Is that all right," he said.

"That is fine," she said taking a sip of her wine.

Jed knew that more than likely Leo was still in his office so he went over to the West Wing.

He knocked on Leo's door and Leo said "come in."

"Hello Leo," the President said.

"Mr. President is there something wrong that I do not know about" he said.

"No everything is fine. Abbey and I were just wondering if you would just want to come over to have dinner tomorrow night after we get off from work around 7:00."

"Yes sir, I think that I can make it but why?"

"We just want to talk to you about a few things that you might understand better than us," the President said.

"Is it political or about this bill because if it is about this bill then you should probably talk to Josh about it. He thinks this bill is very important and wants it to get passed," he said.

"No, it is not that Leo, it is something else that we need your opinion on."

"Alright sir, so dinner at 7:00 Leo said."

"Yes, I will see you then" the President said leaving Leo's office.

Leo sat there wondering what it was about and why he would understand it better than others. If he wanted Josh fired then the President would have to fire him too. It hurt to see Josh upset and was very worried about him, at least he had Rachel and his friends.

Josh had not been the same since his mother had died. He could always try to find his biological family but that could lead to more disappointment and he knew that Josh did not want to disappoint anyone. He had friends and a girlfriend but were they enough in the long run, he was not sure of that.

Next Evening 7:00

Leo knocked on the door to the Residence and a secret service man opened the door.

"They are waiting for you in the dining room" the man said.

"Thank you" Leo told the man and went to the dining room.

Abbey was sitting in a chair drinking a glass of red wine and Jed was drinking water.

"Hello Mr. President and Mrs. Bartlet," Leo said.

"Please call us Jed and Abbey tonight Leo, that would really help" the President said.

They saw the hesitation because it was against protocol, "it is an order Leo" the President said.

Leo knew something was about to happen, but he was not sure if he wanted to find out.

They had dinner, but it was quiet.

Abbey and Jed did not look like they wanted to talk but Abbey finally spoke up. "We have something to tell you Leo, it is very important and it happened before we even met you. When Jed and I were very young I got pregnant with Jed's son. Our parents were not exactly thrilled about this, because we were not married at the time and were not going to get married yet and things were different back then. He was perfect in every way and was the most beautiful baby that I had ever seen. We knew what we had to do so we gave him up for adoption and I prayed to God every day that he would grow up in a good home."

Leo was getting worried why they wanted to talk to him about it. If it happened long ago why are they telling him after all it could not be Josh.

"Why are you telling me this, it is no one's business but your own. Are you going to veto the adoption bill once it passes sir."

"No, I think that people deserve their privacy and shouldn't have their parents looking for their child, if they do not want to but we are getting to that point in a minute."

Leo just looked at them wondering what they were going to say next. "Did you ever find out who your son is," Leo said.

"Yes we have found out who he is" Abbey said looking nervous.

"He was not born in New Hampshire though. Our parents wanted him to be born out of state so that there would be no connection with us. He was born in Connecticut and had stayed in Connecticut for all of his childhood. We do not think that he had any brothers or sisters that he grew up with but he rarely talks about his childhood to anyone. He was not raised Catholic like we were but was raised in a Jewish family," Jed said pausing.

Leo did not like where this was going at all. This sounded too much like Josh, minus not having a sister but it couldn't be Josh. The president would have most likely told him when he was hired.

"Do I know who this person is," Leo said, not really wanting to find out the answer to that question.

"Yes Leo you know him, in fact you work with him. Our son is Josh" Abbey said.

"Are you saying that Josh Lyman is your son Abbey," Leo said thinking he heard wrong.

"Yes, we found out the other day that he was our son. We did not know that he was our son when he was hired as Deputy Chief of Staff" Jed said.

Leo sat there quietly for a minute trying to digest what they had just told him.

"Are you going to tell him that you are his biological family? Do you have any legitimate proof they he is your son."

"Only the piece of paper from the adoption agency that told us who are son is but all the pieces of the puzzle fit perfectly together Leo. He was born in the same city, the same day, and I can see some similarities physically. Do you think that we should tell him about this Leo because you know him better than we do," she said.

"I love Josh like he is my own son. It hurts me when he gets hurt. You have never seen him really bad before," Leo said.

"Yes we have Leo, we saw him after Rosslyn," the President said.

"No sir you have not seen him at his worse, pray to God that you will never see him at his worse. There are a lot more worse things that can happen besides being shot and Josh has experienced those things. You only know his life during the time that you have known him sir. He just lost his mother, the only family member that he had left.

"His family abused him didn't they" Abbey said.

"No his family loved him as much as you love Liz, Ellie, or Zoey. They always wanted what was best for him and would do anything for their son. It is not my right to tell you these things it is only Josh's right to tell you his life" Leo said.

"What should we do about this Leo," Jed said.

"I am not sure if you should tell him at least while in office. He trusts you with his life sir and does not want to disappoint you. His trust is hard to get sometimes but once he puts full trust in someone he lets some of his walls down and wants you to trust him to. Knowing Josh, the two of you may, no will lose his trust forever and his trust is harder to give back then it is to make. You can't tell him at least not right now, it could very well destroy him. This was a nice dinner thank you for inviting me, may I please go I have some work to do" Leo said.

"Yes, you may go Leo. I will see you tomorrow" Jed said. After that Leo walked out of the door and went to his office.

"Do you think that we lost Leo" Abbey said to Jed.

"I do not think that our relationship with him will ever be the same. He does love Josh like the son he never had and will protect him most likely by any means necessary" Jed said. They both wondered what to do next.


	4. CJ finds out

Disclaimer: I do not own the West Wing.

The Next Morning

All of the senior staff was waiting in Leo's office when he arrived. He looked like he had just aged ten years.

"What is on today's agenda everyone," Leo said.

"Well the adoption bill is going to be voted for today" Josh said.

"I will have a press conference about it later on in the afternoon" CJ said.

"That is all," Leo said.

"Leo can I talk to you before I go" Josh said a look of concern on his face.

"Sure, what do you need Josh," he said.

"If you don't mind me asking you look like hell, is everything alright," he said.

"I'm fine Josh; I just had a long night. How are you doing Josh, are you sure you should be back at work."

"Don't worry about me Leo, I'm fine, just don't tell Rachel" he said smiling.

"I think Donna has already taken care of that" Leo said.

"Yea, if you need any help with anything, just ask me and I'll do what I can. I have a meeting with a senator to talk about something so I have to go," Josh said.

"Thanks Josh, I appreciate it. Remember Josh if you ever need anything you can talk to me" Leo said,

"I know" Josh said exiting Leo's office.

Senator William Daniels office

"Hello, have a seat Josh; I would like to talk to you about something important."

"Hello, Senator Daniels, sorry I am late but I was caught in senior staff," Josh said.

"You know that I am retiring soon and there will need to be another senator for Connecticut and I would prefer him to be a democrat," he said.

"Who is running and if he wanted me to run his campaign why did he not call me himself," Josh said.

"I don't want you to run the campaign, none of us do. We want you to run for congress Josh. You have always wanted to do this Josh, haven't you?"

"Yes sir I have but I work for the President, he said.

"What will you do afterward Josh, there won't be a campaign to run after the election. You're a politician Josh, that is what you are good at and this is what you love."

"I don't know what to say sir."

"Think about Josh, this would be a good move for you and maybe lead to governor one day and eventually President. We need good men like you in politics."

"I'll think about it sir, but I can't make a decision right now."

"I know Josh, think about it though and I am voting for that bill today" Senator Daniels said.

"Thank you sir for everything" Josh said.

Oval Office

Josh was late for the meeting and did not want to get fired, but he could always run for senator. After all it was something that he always wanted to do.

"Sorry I am late sir, an unforeseen event came up" Josh said.

"What was that Josh" the President said.

"I was talking to Senator Daniels. Our conversation went a little late. We were talking about the bill and I convinced him to vote for it," he said.

The meeting went by and no one asked anymore questions but one thing he did notice was the tension between the president and Leo.

CJ's Office

CJ heard a knock on her door and said "come in."

"Hey" Danny said walking into CJ's office not looking really good.

"You look bad, is there something wrong," CJ said concerned.

"Yes, I found out some things from a friend of mine that would be damaging to the administration both political and personal and worse than MS could ever be" Danny said.

"What is it, is it going to be in the newspaper anytime soon and what could be worse than the MS scandal" CJ said.

"The President and Mrs. Bartlet had a son before they were married and gave him up for adoption. That is not the worse part though, Josh might be there son," he said.

CJ's face went pale, "are you sure of this Danny."

"Pretty sure but I am not going to go with it until Josh knows and I'll do whatever he wants writing it. Josh is my friend too CJ. He looks bad right now with his mother dead, thank god for Rachel, and then to find out that the President and first lady are his biological parents. I could not even imagine that happening in my wildest dreams."

"I am going to talk to the President right now can you meet me in my office after the press conference this afternoon" she said.

"I can do that, but we should not be the ones to tell Josh. The President and Mrs. Bartlet should."

"Thank you for not telling Josh and telling me before I find out by the press" CJ said. They both walked out of the office neither knowing what to do.

Conclusion: I know that this is short but the next chapter will be longer and Josh finds out.


	5. Josh finds out

CJ walked up to the door of the oval office and knocked on the door.

Charlie came up to her and said "you've got an appointment with the President?"

He could see that CJ was mad and getting madder by the minute. Charlie did not want to know who was on the receiving end of that anger because CJ was on the war path and he hoped it was not the President that she was angry with.

"No, but the President is going to listen to me one way or the other. He has done something that could possibly hurt one of my friends, let's just say that and I do not like when my friends get hurt."

"Maybe you should not talk to him right now, relax and come back." CJ was about to respond when Leo opened the door.

"What are you doing here, there is not a meeting for a couple hours," Leo said.

"Out Leo, I need to talk to the President alone right now" CJ said angrily.

The President and Leo looked at each other and knew that she somehow found out.

"CJ sit down and we will talk" the President said.

She just looked at him with a stare that would scare the bravest man out there.

"Who told you" the President said.

"I have my sources, how could you do that to Josh. All he has ever done was serve you to the highest standards. Whether you like it or not he won the campaign for you. He thought of you, both of you as a central figure in his life, maybe even a father figure."

"It is not like we planned this CJ, Abbey and I never wanted this to happen. We were not supposed to have a child so early, I have loved him ever since he was born, we both have. It was the hardest thing we had to do, giving him up. "

"Josh will not see it that way, he will see it as a betrayal, he trusted you. You think he will just accept that he has a new family" C.J. said pausing.

"His mother just died, every family member who has ever loved him has died. Most likely he will never think of you as his family. You not only gave him up for adoption but you went to another state. Try being in his shoes, finding out that his boss is actually his biological dad. This will ruin him politically and emotionally. He might spiral out of control and it is only going to be your fault. I will not hesitate to blame you if anything happens to Josh" CJ said.

"If the press has found out it will only be a matter of time before it hits the paper and I really do not want him to find out in the newspaper or on the TV" Jed said.

"When are you going to talk to him about this," CJ said.

"Hopefully tonight, he'll need his friends soon. I just hope no one takes sides" Jed said.

"I've got to go before I say anything else that I might regret and you can bet Mr. President that people will take sides and most likely it want be your side" CJ said walking out.

Oval Office three hours later

"Is that all the business that needs to be taken care of right now," the President said.

"Yes sir" they all said in unison.

"Josh can I talk for you for a second" President Bartlet said.

"Yes sir," Josh said.

He had noticed throughout the meeting that now both CJ and Leo were mad, he was wondering what was wrong.

"What is it sir," he said, wondering if he was going to tell him what he obviously must have told Leo and CJ that made them so mad.

"What are you doing at 7:00 tonight Josh" he said.

"I will probably being working, why sir?"

"Abbey and I would like to have dinner with you," he said.

"Why is there something I did," Josh said worried.

"No, Josh I haven't talked to you in awhile and would love to hear what is going on in your life," he said.

"Alright Mr. President, 7:00, can I leave now. I have a lot of work to do between now and then" Josh said.

"Yes you can go I will see you at 7:00."

Outside Oval Office

CJ was waiting for Josh, to see what had happened.

"Hey, how was your talk with the President."

"It was good CJ, he asked me to come over to the residence, he said he wants to talk with me. I think that he is going to fire me. I really cannot think of something that I have done recently. Maybe I haven't been performing at my job, but I will, it is just hard right now with mom dying. I thought I had been working hard but maybe I am wrong" Josh said.

"You're not going to get fired Josh," CJ said.

"Do you and Leo know something that I do not know? It looked like you were giving the President the infamous death glare earlier and I have never seen you do that to the president. Leo is pretty mad too but he won't tell me what is wrong. If you told me maybe I could fix it" Josh said.

CJ looked at Josh and said "I have got to go." Josh knew they were hiding something from him but he did not know what it was. He really wanted to fix it.

Josh's Office

"Donna I need to ask you a question" Josh said.

"What is it" she asked.

"Has CJ or Leo said anything to you lately about what is going on with them and the President? I personally think that the President is going to fire me. I am not sure what I have done this time though, what do you think I did" he said.

"Josh I do not think you have done anything recently. Anyway if you were going to be fired the President would have fired you long ago but somehow he has been able to deal with you, don't ask me how," Donna said the later part smiling.

"CJ gave the President her infamous death glare that she only reserves for people she is really angry at, particularly me. I am going to eat dinner with him and the first lady tonight Donna, this is serious."

"Don't worry about it. You will still be here as the deputy chief of staff tomorrow morning. It could be possible that he is concerned about you and wants to know how you are doing. They could also help you find your parents if you wanted them to" as they were walking out.

"How many times do I have to tell everyone I really do not care who my biological family is. I never want to meet them; they abandoned me and did not give a damn about me so why should I give a damn about them. If you were adopted you would probably not give a damn either. I have a meeting to get to, I'll talk to you later" Josh said angrily.

CJ was walking in that area and heard Josh say that. She knew that the next few days would be bad.

Leo's Office

CJ knocked on Leo's door and he said "come in."

"Hey Leo, we have got a serious problem. "

Leo looked up "what is it' he sounded irritated.

"Donna was talking to Josh about his biological parents and he said that he does not want to know them because they did not give a damn about him. What are we going to do Leo, this will destroy him" CJ said.

"We will have to be for him tonight and however long it takes for him to cope with this. Why can't anything be simple anymore" Leo said.

"I do not know either Leo" CJ said.

CJ's office thirty minutes later

Danny was waiting in her office and he saw CJ come in.

"Someone else found that Josh is the son of President Bartlet and Mrs. Bartlet. I convinced them to postpone it till tomorrow morning. Josh better find out tonight because he will find out in the papers tomorrow if he is not told tonight," Danny said.

"The president and first lady are going to talk to him tonight. Thank you so much for postponing this. It means a lot to me and the first family" CJ said.

"Josh is my friend too and I would never run with this story without telling him. Anyway just thought I would tell you that and I will only write positive information about this and whatever Josh wants. I have got to go, see you tomorrow," Danny said.

The Residence 5:00

Jed walked into the residence and saw Abbey.

"Josh is coming over tonight, someone in the press has found out. I am not sure who the person is but it will not be long till it gets to another reporter that will decide to go with the story" Jed said.

"I know I just don't want to hurt him. He will not like having secret service following him either," Abbey said.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated" Jed said.

"We shouldn't have given him up Jed, we should have kept him. We kept Liz, Ellie, and Zoey, why not him" Abbey said.

"You know why we did not keep him Abbey it was for the best at the time," Jed said.

"Yea, whatever Jed, you do not know how I felt, how I feel. He was with me for nine months and then I just gave him up, like he was nothing. I remember seeing other little boys after Josh was born. I always wondered how he would act as a child, what he looked like. I used to look for him when we went places. I knew that I would never see him; even if I did I would not recognize him. Seeing the girls grow up I always wondered what he was doing at that age, where he went to school, what his favorite color and food was, his hopes and dreams but I never experienced any of that. I remember the girls once asked if they could have a brother. That almost made me cry, when they asked that. When we gave him up something disappeared in me that I have not gotten back and most likely will never get back" Abbey said on the verge of tears.

"We have got to be strong for Josh and the girls," Jed said.

"I know we do" Abbey said. They sat and waited till the clock struck 7:00 for Josh to arrive then they would have dinner.

The Residence 7:00

They heard a knock on the door and Jed said "come in."

"Hello, Mr. President, Mrs. Bartlet how are you,' Josh said trying to sound calm.

"We are good Josh, let us eat dinner. You like steak Josh," Abbey said.

"Yes ma'am I do," he said.

They were quiet for awhile and Abbey finally spoke. "Josh, how are you doing? We were very sorry to hear about your mother's death, if there is anything we can do please tell us."

"Thank you ma'am, I am glad that she is not suffering anymore and she is finally with the rest of my family even though I was upset about her death" Josh said.

They ate dinner talking about different things but Josh could tell that something was up.

"With all due respect sir and ma'am what is it you really called me here for. If you are going to fire me then go ahead. I know that maybe I have not been up to the best lately but I cannot think what I have done recently. I know I have made mistakes such as yelling at you, describing the secret plan to fight inflation and angering many Republicans as well as Democrats but-''

"Josh we are not going to fire you," Jed said.

"Then you heard about me talking with Senator Daniels about running for office," Josh said.

"Are you going to run for office Josh, it would be a great career move because everyone knows you would win" Jed said.

"I am not sure Mr. President. I wish I was as confident in you with the idea of my winning. When I accepted your offer as deputy chief of staff I meant that I would keep it until you wanted me gone and fully plan to stay the full eight years unless you do not want me. Mom and dad always said that if I was going to do something right then I have to put my full effort and dedication in it. I should never lie to people and break promises unless it is best to do it," Josh said.

"Your parents taught you well Josh, they did a good job raising you" Abbey said.

"Thank you ma'am that would mean a lot to my parents if they heard it," Josh said.

"Anyway Josh we need to talk to you about something else, something personal," Abbey said getting serious.

"What is it ma'am," Josh said worried.

"Jed and I made a huge mistake many years ago that we have regretted since that day. When we were young I became pregnant with our son but we were not ready to take care of a baby and did not want to get married yet" Abbey paused.

"Is that what Leo and CJ are so mad about with you, that you did not tell them this and it somehow got leaked to the press and now CJ will have to deal with it. I would hate to be him, I could not even imagine it," Josh said.

"The thing is Josh, you are our son," Jed said.

"Excuse me I can't be your son because I was born in Connecticut, not New Hampshire" he said his voice rising.

"Our parents wanted us to have you out of state, so no one would no outside of our family in New Hampshire would know" Abbey said.

"Do you have any proof besides your word?"

Abbey pulled out a folder and handed it to Josh.

Josh read the paper and said calmly said "you need more proof then this, just because a piece of paper said something does not mean it is true."

"That is why we are going to take our blood and have a DNA sample. The resident doctor is going to take our blood and send it off to a lab to be tested," Abbey said and called the doctor.

They heard a knock and Jed said "come in."

"Mr. Lyman can I please take your blood," the doctor said.

"Fine" he said getting irritated. The doctor took the blood and it was deathly silent.

"Thank you Mr. Lyman" the doctor said leaving.

"How long have you known this, if this is even true" Josh said getting out of his seat.

"We have known for a few days," Jed said.

"You just happened to talk to Leo and CJ first about this instead of talking to me. How many other people know about this? Do Ellie, Liz, and Zoey know about it since you are telling everyone except me" Josh said.

"We talked to Leo because he knows you better than any of us and CJ found out by a reporter."

"I am surprised that I have not found out in the paper yet. When are you going to tell Liz, Ellie, and Zoey," Josh said.

"Tonight, since it is going to be in the papers tomorrow. They are all going to be in town tomorrow. We want you to be there tomorrow and have dinner with us," Abbey said.

"No thank you I have to go to Connecticut anyway after I clean out my office" Josh said pacing in the room.

"We have secret service agents for when you leave tonight," Jed said.

"Why, no one knows that you are my parents, want it be a little suspicious that the secret service is following me around."

"It will be printed tomorrow Josh. The press will surround your apartment and you will not be able to get out."

"Fine, if you will excuse me I have to go" Josh said leaving. The secret servicemen followed him out.

As they were going out Josh ran into Zoey.

"Josh what are you doing here this late at night," Zoey said.

"I just talked to the President and First Lady, I am sure they would be happy to explain it to you" Josh said walking by her. She was confused and worried Josh looked very angry.


	6. After Dinner

"Josh, what are you doing here, is something wrong" Zoey said when she saw Josh. He looked angry and upset.

"Ask them" Josh said pointing toward the room the president and first lady were in.

"Hey mom, dad is something wrong. I just saw Josh leave and he looked upset" Zoey said.

"Why don't you sit down, we have something very important to tell you" Abbey said.

"What is wrong and why does Josh know before me" Zoey said concerned.

"It concerns everyone but especially Josh" Jed said.

"Elizabeth is not our oldest child. Before your father and I were married we had a son but we gave him up for adoption. Our son, your brother is Josh" Abbey said waiting for Zoey's reply.

"Funny I thought you said Josh, your deputy chief of staff is my brother" she said.

"We just found out a few days ago. When he was hired we did not know he was our son" he said.

"Why, why would you do this to him? Why would you give a child, particularly Josh up for adoption? Why tell him now" Zoey said angry and standing up.

"We were too young at the time to raise a child. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I would rather him find out from us, then from the paper tomorrow morning" Abbey said.

"I've got to go. You better tell Elizabeth and Ellie tonight" Zoey said slamming the door.

Josh's Office

Zoey noticed that Donna's purse and coat was at her desk but she was not. She knocked on Josh's door knowing he was there because of the secret service standing outside his office.

When he did not answer she decided to go in.

"Josh can I come in" Zoey said.

"Yea" he said softly but not getting up.

"Nice music" she said.

"I know, its Ava Maria" he said.

"I've heard it just a few times but did not know you liked it" Zoey said smiling.

"I'm guessing the president and Dr. Bartlet told you" Josh said ignoring her question and not opening his eyes.

"Yea, they did. I'm so mad at them" Zoey said.

"Me too but I should have realized something like this would happen. After all I think the universe takes great pleasure in torturing me anyway they can" he said.

"Josh, I know it doesn't matter but if I had to have an older brother I would rather it be you then anyone else" she said.

On the last verse of Ava Maria his eyes snapped open and he gripped the chair. All he could hear was the guns going off and the sirens blaring. A few seconds later he was brought back to reality.

"Josh, Josh are you alright" Zoey said.

"Yea sorry, I blanked out for a second. Anyway I have got to talk to Leo. You didn't hear anything did you" he said as he turned the music off.

"I heard some sirens but that is it" Zoey said.

"Me too, I'm not sure when I will see you again" Josh said hoping he was not shaking.

"Will you be at home" Zoey said.

"No, I'll probably be at Rachel's" he said.

"Who is Rachel" Zoey said.

"My girlfriend, hopefully fiancée soon" he said leaving his office.

"I'm glad you have a girlfriend Josh but I always thought you and Donna would get together" Zoey said as the secret service followed them out.

"Donna is like my little sister, really don't know why anyone would think anything else" Josh said as they approached Leo's office.

"I'll talk to you later Josh" Zoey said leaving as Josh knocked on Leo's door.

"Come in" Leo said.

"Hey" Josh said sitting down.

"So they told you" Leo said.

Yea, I think we need to tell everyone. Are the rest of senior staff in? I'd like to tell Donna at the same time too" Josh said.

"I think so" Leo said calling C.J.

A few minutes later the senior staff and Donna came into Leo's office.

"How are you doing Josh" C.J. said hugging Josh

"Okay" Josh said sitting down along with everyone else.

"What is with the secret service standing outside your door Leo" Sam said.

Leo and Josh both ignored what he said knowing he would find out in a second.

"I went to the residence tonight and had dinner with the Bartlett's" Josh said.

"What happened, is everything alright" Donna said concerned.

"No, not really. Apparently I'm the President and First Lady's son" he said waiting to see his friends' reactions, hoping they would not be angry at him.

"Can you repeat that again I don't think I heard you right" Toby said.

"I'm the Bartlett's son" Josh said leaning his head back against the chair.

"I can't believe they would do this. I, I thought they were better than that. Why would they tell you now, at least wait until the administration is over" Sam said getting out of his chair.

"It's going to be on the front page of the newspaper tomorrow morning" C.J. said.

"This may be for the best you know. It finally pushed me into the direction I want to go in. I'm going to run for the senate seat that will open with Senator Daniels retiring. It's something I've dreamed of doing since I was a kid" Josh said.

"You are going to need a speechwriter so I'll quit and help you" Toby said.

"I will too because you can't have Toby doing all the writing and advising" Sam said.

"You will definitely need a press secretary to keep you out of trouble" C.J. said.

"Yes I will probably need all of these positions but all of you love your jobs. I can't ask you to quit when you already have a job that you love. He is already going to be losing his deputy chief of staff. They need good people here and the five of you are the best. You keep this administration running" Josh said.

They all saw how lost he looked and were angry that he was hurt again.

"If you are leaving then so am I you need someone to keep you straight" Donna said.

"You know I'm a big boy plus I have Rachel now not that you aren't important because you and C.J. are two of the most important women in my life. "

"I came here with you and I am leaving here with you, no buts besides it is more than a one woman job looking after you and making sure you get everywhere on time. Rachel will not be able to make sure everything is alright when she is at the hospital" Donna said.

"If you do not want me to quit I won't but it does not mean I can't help you. I'll be there for you at anytime" C.J. said.

"Thanks, I'm going to be at Rachel's for awhile I think. I'll stop by my place get some stuff but go back to her place. I don't think she is on call tonight but I will need someone to drive me. If they find my car they find me. I'll come back to my office and get my stuff later. I just really need to get out of here for awhile. You have my cell and I'll give you Rachel's number to call. The funny thing is I always thought I would leave this place because I got fired or lost an election not for personal reasons" Josh said getting up.

"Did you just say that you could lose an election because I thought Josh Lyman could never lose an election" Sam said trying to make Josh smile.

"Did I necessarily say it would be me running the campaign" Josh said smiling but not quite reaching his eyes.

"I'll take you home" Sam said.

"No, we'll all go home with you" Donna said.

"Thanks, thank you for everything. You guys have always been there for me when I have needed you. I just wish we had a few more years we could spend as a team.

No we have not Toby thought but he would be damned if he did not help him now, even if he had to do it while working in the White House. If that was what Josh wanted, that is what he would get.


	7. Christmas Again?

"Mr. Lyman, you are going the wrong way" one of the secret service men said.

"I think I remember where my own car is" Josh said annoyed.

"Secret Service protocol states that you need to be in a secure car and have a secret service driver" the second secret service man said.

This should be interesting Leo thought.

"You've got to be kidding me. I'm not the president's son. Last time I checked Noah and Clara Lyman were my parents" Josh said getting angry trying not to get angry but was failing.

"The press will soon know you are the president's biological son and therefore you could be in danger" he said.

"You've had secret service outside of your room before" Sam said.

"When the hell did this happen. I think I would remember it and aren't I supposed to sign a form" Josh said his voice rising.

"You were unconscious at the time. It was after the shooting when security was strict for a few days" Donna said.

"Don't you think this is something that you should have told me after the fact? How much other information of the shooting having you not told me about? You need to tell me these things, how can I help you if you do not tell me these things" Josh said screaming, however at that point all he could hear were the sirens, screams and gunshots all around him. It was much more intense then when Zoey was in his office.

The way Josh was acting reminded his friends of the Christmas after Rosslyn that they would never forget.

"Josh, Josh" Sam said in a calm voice.

"You have to listen to me; I can't help you if you don't listen to me" Josh sad screaming like he did in the oval office.

"Josh" Toby said.

"What" Josh said breathing hard.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow, let's just get to your place and go to Rachel's" C.J. said as both Donna and C.J. followed him into the car while Toby and Sam went in Toby's car.

Josh's apartment

"We've got to check the apartment before you go in sir" a secret service man said.

"I seriously doubt there are any murderers in my apartment" Josh said.

"You never know sir" the secret service man said as he checked the apartment.

"Toby and I will go make sure Josh gets everything he needs" Sam said following Josh after it was clear. Before they went into the room he and Toby both looked at Leo.

"Can I talk to the two of you for a second" Leo said to the secret service men.

"Yes sir" they said following him into the kitchen while C.J. and Donna would make sure he did not go into the kitchen.

"If you feel that there is anything strange going on with Josh your first call is me and then if you have to, Ron Butterfield. Do not go to the president or first lady" Leo said softly.

"But sir, there is protocol involved" he said.

"The most important thing in being in the secret service is making sure your person trusts you, if you go to the president you can forget about the trust. Do not tell Josh that you are calling me, understand" Leo said.

"Yes sir" they said as Leo went out of the room knowing they would not get an explanation for what could be wrong.

A few minutes later

They had packed Josh's things to go to Rachel's.

"You have a lot of stuff, are you moving in forever with Rachel" Leo said smiling trying to lighten up the mood.

Ha ha, Leo very funny. This is what happens when Sam helps pack" Josh said.

"If I am going on a trip for a week I pack just a little less then that" Donna said.

"But you are a woman, it's different" Josh said as C.J. looked at him.

"I mean you bring more shoes and makeup and many other things because that is what women need" Josh said trying to backtrack.

"I will forgive you this time Joshua, but try very hard not to say stuff like that especially if you are running for Congress. You will not get the female vote" C.J. said.

"Thanks for the advice" Josh said.

Of course my amour" C.J. said.

"Are we off to Rachel's now" Toby said.

"Yea, but I can do this by myself" Josh said uncertainty in his voice.

"We know you can but I have one quick question" Donna said.

"Yea, what is it" Josh said.

"Does Rachel know about what happened the Christmas after Rosslyn" Donna said hoping she would not regret it.

"No, she'd leave me if she found out. Why are you saying this? I am not having any of that right now" Josh said.

The others could not believe she had said that but their faces remained neutral. They all knew it needed to be said.

"She would not leave you Josh, she loves you" Donna said.

"The press is going to look into your private life. I should have told you this earlier but they will not only find out what happened in your adult life but your childhood. I know you do not want to tell her tonight but it is better than her finding out on television. We need a statement from you also" C.J. said surprised she forgot about that.

"I am shocked about this but I have thought of the president as a paternal figure since my father died. Something like that, we can't say that I am angry and never want to speak to them again. We have to spin this and make it positive" Josh said pausing and then realized something else.

"They'll talk to my friends then. You've got to call Mallory, Leo" Josh said standing up.

"Why" Toby said.

"The press knows that I have known Leo since I was a child so I know Mallory. She is five years younger than me and I think of her as a little sister" Josh said running his fingers through his hair.

He now was thinking of Joanie and had to push that thought out of his head tonight. He couldn't have another flashback tonight, at least he thought he did earlier with Zoey.

"I'll call her tonight but let us at least follow you to Rachel's, make sure you get there safe" Leo said.

"Fine" he said a little more harshly then he attended.

They all went out of the apartment and Josh locked the door.

They were all wondering what's next and were concerned for their friend whose actions were reminding them far too much of that Christmas.


	8. Rachel's

They all got out of the car and Josh knocked on Rachel's door.

Rachel came to the door and saw Josh.

"Why didn't you use your key" Rachel said as Josh hugged her.

"Honey what is wrong, come inside" Rachel said moving.

"Mr. Lyman we need to check the house first" a secret service man said.

"Again, I seriously doubt that there is anyone trying to kill me because they do not know I am here" Josh said.

"It could be something else sir" the secret service man who stayed with him said.

"Who are these people going into my house" Rachel said with a confused look on her face.

"Secret Service" Josh said.

"All clear" he said.

"Do you want us to come in" Sam said.

"If Rachel says its okay" he said looking at Rachel.

"Of course, what is wrong Josh, you're scaring me" Rachel said worried.

When Josh did not say anything, C.J. said "you need to sit down for this."

They entered the living room and they sat down.

"I haven't told you a few things and I want to say first I will understand it if you hate me and never want to see me again" Josh said looking at Leo.

"I could never hate you, what would make you think that."

"Because I killed my sister" Josh said looking at the floor not wanting to see her face.

"Josh, you didn't kill Joanie" Leo said.

"Yes I did. I wanted the popcorn Leo, not her. She wanted me to go to bed but I convinced her to fix popcorn. I left her in the house, she was all alone. She died alone" Josh said anguished.

"The fire was electrical, you know that" Leo said.

"Doesn't make a difference, I left her to die alone. I heard her screams" Josh said yelling.

"Those were not her screams, it was yours. Remember I was there" Leo said.

"It wasn't your fault, I don't think anyone blames you here" Rachel said horrified he could think that she would hate him and he thought it was his fault.

"There is something else I have not told you, something I should have told you but was afraid. The Christmas after Rosslyn I started acting out of character. I was mean, shouted, and heard things that were not there, even yelled at the president. I spent a day with a guy from ATVA who diagnosed me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I thought as long as I had it under control then I would not have to tell you" Josh said pausing as he heard sirens. He hoped it was outside and not inside his head.

"I wouldn't leave you over that either. You can't help it if you have PTSD. I love you no matter what happens but why tell me now" Rachel said slightly confused.

"I don't want you finding out on the news" Josh said running his hair through his hand.

He wanted to delay this as long as possible.

"Why would the news care about your childhood" she said confused.

"You know I'm adopted. Tonight I found out who my parents are. The reason the secret service is here is because I'm the Bartlet's son" he said softly.

"I thought you said you were the president's son" she said.

"I thought I heard wrong the first time too. I think all of us did but according to a piece of paper I'm their son. The press is going to print it in tomorrow's newspaper. I didn't find out till tonight. I was wondering if I could stay here for awhile" he said.

"I can't believe this. Why didn't they tell you at the beginning? They should have known a reporter would find out eventually" she said pacing and getting angry.

"Apparently they didn't know I was there son until a few days ago. I don't know what to do" he said.

"We'll get through this Josh, I promise you" Rachel said hugging him.

"We should go. I know I have a few things to do at the office" C.J. said.

"Yea, we do" Toby said.

After his friends left and he was in Rachel's arms he finally let the tears flow.

Rachel rubbed his back hoping it would help.

"I'll never leave you, I promise" she said softly.


	9. Secrets from the Past

The Chief of Staff's Office

When everyone left Josh at Rachel's they decided to head back to the White House.

"Before I go talk to the Bartlet's is there anything else I should know" C.J. said.

When Sam looked at Leo, she and the other occupants of the room knew there was something else.

"I don't think it is my right to tell you" Leo said.

"The press will find out and I will look stupid not knowing, If I know I can do my job a lot better than any surprises that they will find out" C.J. said.

Leo reluctantly said "Noah was an alcoholic for a few years."

"Did he ever hurt Josh or Clara" Donna said shocked that Josh had never told her.

"Not that I know of" Leo said while Sam looked at the floor.

"Do you know something else Sam" Toby said.

They all knew Sam was a terrible liar.

"When I found out my father had an affair Josh and I got drunk. I was going on and on about how I couldn't believe my father had an affair. Josh told me at least your father wasn't an alcoholic.

Flashback

"I can't believe my father had an affair" Sam said leaning back on the couch.

"At least your father wasn't an alcoholic" Josh said taking a sip of his fourth beer.

"I never saw him with an alcoholic beverage when I spent time with your family" Sam said.

"By the time you came he was sober but he was an alcoholic when I was younger. I don't know when it started" Josh said looking at his beer bottle.

"Did he ever hurt you" Sam said hoping he would say no.

"It's in the past, let's leave it there" Josh said.

"Josh" Sam said.

"It only happened when he was really drunk. He didn't know what he was doing" he said.

"That makes it okay" Sam said getting angry.

"Of course not" Josh said getting defensive

"What made him stop" Sam said.

"Sam, I don't want to talk about this anymore. Not many people know about this today" Josh said.

Sam could see by the tone of his voice and actions that it was the end of that conversation.

End Flashback

"Do you know what happened Leo" Toby said.

"No but I do know that they got a divorce after Josh turned eleven. He and his mom lived in New York City for three years. I never figured out why they got back together but they did. I could tell they were much happier after they got remarried. If I had known, I would have gone to help him" Leo said.

"Josh idolizes his father. We talked about our fathers when my dad got sick. It seemed like he could almost do nothing wrong. Why would he think Noah was such a great man if he abused him" C.J. said.

"Noah was a good man. He helped me get through my alcoholism. Children tend to remember the good over the bad. He knows Noah isn't perfect but believes that the good outweighs the bad. Children of alcoholics sometimes believe they deserved it" Leo said remembering his childhood.

"I don't think Josh remembers talking about this so don't tell him. It does not leave this room" Sam said.

"One thing about Noah is he would go to hell and back for his friends. He had been to hell and back so he knew the way out. Like Josh he put a heavy emphasis on trust and once that trust was broken it was hard to get back" Leo said.

"I have a feeling it was more than the alcoholism that he went to hell and back" Donna said.

"None of his family immigrated to the United State until World War Two ended. They were Polish Jews. Noah, and his father and Clara and her mother were the only ones in their family to survive the Holocaust at least that they know of" Toby said.

Flashback

Josh's apartment

"I can't believe what Mary Marsh said" Toby said angry.

"Yea there are bigots everywhere, sadly many of them are in prominent positions" Josh said taking a sip of his beer.

"We need to keep these guys out of power. I still don't understand how people can follow these bigots blindly" Toby said.

"Many times they are charismatic. They get elected and are able to stay in power. A perfect example would be Hitler" Josh said the last part softly.

"I couldn't imagine what they went through. I never met someone who said they were in the concentration camps" Toby said.

"They don't go advertising it around. I remember seeing my dad mow the grass when I was four or five. I saw a number on his shoulder and asked why he had a tattoo. He told me he would tell me when I was older. It was in the voice I knew not to argue with. A few years later I learned that my family had been in the ghetto in Warsaw and concentration camps. I understand why he didn't tell me at first. Telling a four year old it's because you were Jewish, probably isn't a good idea. My mother, grandmother, and my dad and his dad were the only ones to survive that we know about. I still look but they are probably dead" Josh said sadly.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know your family was in it. It makes me glad to be born in America" Toby said.

"Me too" Josh said as they went back to drinking their beers.

End Flashback

"You knew" Leo said.

"We talked after Mary Marsh came to the White House. Josh and I were insulted from the remarks she made about our New York attitude. I don't know how we got on that topic but let's not go spreading that around either" Toby said.

"Is there anything else I should know" C.J. said.

"No" Donna said too quickly for C.J,'s liking.

"Donna" C.J. said.

"It's private records, people can't find out. It is doctor patient confidentiality" Donna said defensively.

"Trust me reporters will find a way to get the information."

"He's not an addict anymore. He's not taking drugs" Donna said.

"What" they all said.

"After Josh got shot he told me that he didn't want the doctors to give him too much of the pain medication"

Flashback

GW

Four days after the operation

Josh was in a bed with wires and tubes around him when he whispered "Donna."

Donna looked up from her magazine and said "what do you need."

"The doctors can't give me a lot more of the strong pain medication."

"They are taking you off of it slowly" Donna said.

"You don't understand Donna, I don't want to be an addict again" Josh said.

"What" Donna said not believing what she heard.

"I was addicted to drugs, please" he said looking at her.

"Okay, I'll go tell them" Donna said walking out of the room.

End Flashback

"He told me later he went to rehab for the summer before his junior year in high school" Donna said.

"I wondered where he went that summer. His parents said he was at summer camp for the entire summer. I thought it was strange because Josh had never gone to camp before. After he came back from "summer camp" I could tell something was different about him. He sounded and acted much more stable than he had in the previous couple of years" Leo said.

"Please tell me that is all" C.J. said.

"Yes" they all said.

She now believed it.

"Can I use your phone. I need to tell the president and first lady I need to come get their statements" C.J. said.

"Yes" Leo said.

"Mr. President I need to come get your statements" they heard C.J. said then hung up the phone.

"Am I to assume that all of you are staying for awhile" she said.

"Yes" they said together.

"Donna, you don't need to stay" Toby said.

"I'm not going to get any sleep tonight, might as well start packing Josh's office up" Donna said.

"I'm not sure if that is a good idea yet. It could look like we are kicking him out" Leo said as C.J. left.

"You can come help us. I'm sure your input will be valuable" Toby said as everyone looked at him.

"What, I can be nice sometimes" he said.

Everyone now left Leo's office, leaving Leo to try to figure out what's next.


End file.
